Over 100 help clean trash from Upton streets

UPTON - All it took to gather dozens of families and over 100 residents to help clean up the town was a Facebook post.

Upton resident Lara Wahl said once the snow finally melted, she noticed the trash alongside roads in town. She posted about it in a community Facebook group and it all snowballed from there.

She was told to contact Bonnie Combs from the Blackstone Heritage Corridor, which for two years has been organizing townwide cleanup events throughout the Blackstone Valley.

Over 40 families signed up to clean different areas of town and were equipped with trash pickers, gloves and bright-colored shirts. In droves, families took to the streets to clean up the litter of bottles, snack bags, cans and other trash.

Several local organizations, town departments and officials offered their services as well, including the Men's Club, Boys and Girls Scouts, Friends of the Upton State Forest and even some selectmen.

Selectman Gary Daugherty and his family, armed with trash bags, also took to the streets to clean. He said he was happy to see so many people sacrifice their Saturday morning for the betterment of their town.

“It really shows that a small community really cares,” he said. "That's what makes this community great."

The Upton Department of Public Works was even on hand to help out and lug away the large bags full of trash, but were glad to see residents helping them clean.

“This is a tremendous effort,” said Director Vinny Roy.

After the cleanup effort concluded, Combs said the DPW collected “well over” 250 bags of rubbish around town.

“What a wonderful outpouring of support from the community,” she said. “Several people want to do it again very soon. That’s a very good thing to see.”